A Test of Friendship
A Test of Friendship is the fourteenth episode of the third season in this television sitcom on Family Matters, which was aired from ABC on January 10, 1992. It was directed by Richard Correll and written by Regina Stewart Larsen. Plot Urkel faces expulsion from school when he colludes with Eddie (who didn't study) to cheat on a chemistry test. Laura orders her brother to confess and save their friend from expulsion. Meanwhile, Carl becomes the laughingstock of the precinct (thanks largely to Lt. Murtaugh) when revenge-seeking burglars use sleeping gas to put Carl to sleep, then rob the Winslows blind. However, their second attempt is foiled when Estelle, Harriette and Rachel comes home to nab the burglars by clonking them in the head with a snow shovel and chases them inside the house. End result: the Winslows get their furniture back, Eddie is grounded, he and Steve must retake the test before their suspension is lifted and burglars are back in jail. As punishment for his ungratefulness in saving his job, Harriette and Rachel chases Carl around. Synopsis Carl ends up being the laughingstock to the Chicago Precinct (thanks in part by Lt.Murtaugh), after two burglars(Ned and Langweaver) use sleeping gas to put him to sleep, then rob the Winslows blind. He has to endure a lot of being the butt of his boss' jokes and ribbing. The two burglars have every reason for revenge: Carl had put them behind bars years ago and they broke out of jail to pay him back. Meanwhile, Eddie has a hard time studying for the upcoming chemistry test and he wants Steve to help him cheat on the test. Urkel refuses to have any involvement in his plans and keeps his distance. Immediately, Waldo defends Steve's actions and sets Eddie straight by telling the latter that he's offended by this. He asks Waldo why is he offended by his actions. Waldo abrasively points out that cheating is wrong and that Eddie should've known better. Before leaving, he tells Eddie off that he may get Fs in school. However, Waldo earns those grades rather than resort to plagiarism like Eddie's doing. Steve actually agrees with Waldo for once that what he's doing is wrong. He tells him to stop having ideas to cheat on the test and understand the consequences at hand. However, Eddie finally convinces Urkel to help him cheat by pretending to have a cold. In their Chemistry class, Urkel actually has one the next day and confuses him during the test. His chemistry teacher, Mr. Howard, asks him if he's got a problem with his colds. Steve tells him he woke up with a cold and Mr. Howard thinks he brought that for show and tell. Later on, however, Urkel is caught giving Eddie the answers and faces expulsion from school when he colludes with him to cheat on the chemistry test. At the house, Harriette demands Carl to get their furniture back from the robbers, but he doesn't know where they went. She tells him that she hates sitting on the lawn chairs that he brought to the house because of how uncomfortable it was. However, he has a hard time accepting that he actually fell asleep during the robbery and admits that he has never done such a thing in his life. Eddie feels bad about what happened to Urkel but would rather leave his friend out to dry, since a confession from him would expose the truth that he neglected to study. An irate and insulted Laura tells him off that he better confess to the truth about him cheating. Especially because she knows that Eddie's abusing their friendship with Steve and she reminds him all the years he had stuck up for him. He refuses and thinks Laura is bluffing him like she always does. She tells Eddie off this is no bluff. Laura immediately makes her ultimatum clear to him: do the right thing to save Steve from expulsion by confessing to his plans to cheat. Laura mentions that if Eddie refuses and calls her bluff again, she'll follow through on her threat. She will go straight to Principal Shimata's office and tell on him about his plans to cheat on his Chemestry test. This will not only result her saving Steve from expulsion but also forces Eddie to face up to the consequences of being kicked out of the basketball team and expelled from school for his plans to cheat. Laura also mentions that she will tell Carl and Harriette about this and let him deal with their harsh punishment. Eddie realizes Laura's right and decides to explain everything. That is until the burglars, who had ripped off the Winslows earlier, pump more sleeping gas into the home (to put everyone to sleep so they can finish the job and further humiliate Carl). However, Ned and Langweaver's second attempt to rob the Winslow house and humiliate him is foiled when Estelle, Harriette and Rachel comes home just in time to catch them in the act. They stop the two burglars by clonking them in the head with their snow shovels and chases them into the living room. Harriette threatens to cause mayhem to them by clonking them in the head again, if they try anything stupid. Langweaver begs the Winslow Women to go easy on him more than Ned, because he bleed's faster. Eddie's confession is complete and Carl grounds him for his actions. Everything's back to normal - the Winslows get their furniture and electronics back. While they are helping out with putting back the dining table and chairs, Eddie is getting tired of studying the Periodic Table Of Elements and tells Steve they should take a break. Urkel refuses and reminds him that Principal Shimata will lift their suspension, if they must memorize periodic table of elements before they can allow them back to school. He mentions that he wants to get back to school as much as he can because he wants academic nourishment. Eddie thinks Steve needs to take a break from studying and have a social life. They continue studying in the hopes to retake their chemistry test. During the time, Carl is acting like a chauvinist and refuses to help both Rachel and Harriette carry in the furniture by taking the lamp instead. He ends up getting chased around by them, for being ungrateful for all the nice things they did to save his career (which he deserved because if they hadn't nabbed Ned and Langweaver for trying to rob them, he would've been the laughingstock in all of Chicago). Cast Main * Reginald VelJohnson as Carl Winslow * Jo Marie Payton as Harriette Winslow * Rosetta LeNoire as Estelle Winslow * Darius McCrary as Eddie Winslow * Kellie Shanygne Williams as Laura Winslow * Jaimee Foxworth as Judy Winslow * Bryton James as Richie Crawford * Jaleel White as Steve Urkel * Telma Hopkins as Rachel Crawford Guest Recurring * Shawn Harrison as Waldo Geraldo Faldo * Barry Jenner as Lt. Murtaugh Cameo * Patrick Cornin as Mr. Howard * Gary McGurk as Ned * Gregory White as Al * Howard George as Langweaver Trivia *This episode marks the first time that Laura and Waldo have both proven to be more loyal friends to Urkel than Eddie *This episode establishes that Ned and Langweaver both want revenge on Carl for arresting them for a previous home invasion. Hence, Ned decided to pay him back by putting him to sleep and robbing the Winslows' blind. *This marks the only time that Harriette, Estelle and Rachel foiled the bad guys. *This is the only time Eddie and Steve gets suspended from school. Quotes : Eddie: I was thinking you could help me during the test. : Waldo and Urkel: Cheating? : Eddie: I prefer to call it sharing. : Waldo: Well I for one am appalled. : Eddie: Why are you so upset, Waldo? : Waldo: Cheating is wrong Eddie and you should know that. : he puts on his jacket and turns on the flashlight from his helmet hard hat : Waldo: I may get Fs, but by God, I earn them. : Urkel: You know, I never thought I see the day when I actually agree with Waldo Geraldo Faldo! ---- : Urkel: Eddo, cheating on a test is like wearing your grandma's underwear. It might cover your behind but if you make a habit of it, you've got a serious problem. ---- : Carl: [waking up from knockout gas after Eddie confessed to cheating before they passed out] You cheated? You're grounded! ---- : Carl: You find any prints, Al? : Al: No... but don't worry, Sleeping Beauty, someday your prints will come. : [laughs] : Carl: Oh, cute, Al. Real cute. Haha. Be a long time before you make Sergeant. : Al: [Stops laughing and continues dusting for prints] ---- : Waldo: Cheating is wrong, Eddie, and you should know that. I may get F's, but, by God, I earn them! ---- :and Langweaver are confronted by Mother Winslow, Harriette and Rachel who foiled them by using their snow shovels to clonk them in the head. :Langweaver: Take it easy, I bleed faster Category:Episodes Category:Season Three episodes Category:Season Three